Anna directly blames PC for his arrest on Aug 16

New Delhi: Anna Hazare on Sunday directly blamed
Home Minister P Chidambaram for his arrest on August 16 when
he was to launch his fast and claimed that there was a plan to
bundle him out of the capital as was done to Yoga guru Ramdev.

Hazare, who was arrested on the morning of August 16 and
sent to 7-day judicial custody for trying to defy prohibitory
orders, said he refused to come out of the jail after the
government decided to release him.

"I was sent to Tihar Jail and I was given the jail
uniform. When I was about to take some rest, one police
officer came and told me that I have been released," he told
his supporters at his one-day token fast here.

"When the top police official told me that I have come
out of jail and can`t go back, I told him I will remain in his
office only. There was a plan to take me directly to airport
and put me in an Air Force plane and take me to Pune," he
said.

"They wanted to do the same as they did with Ramdev baba
in June. They wanted to take me out of the capital. Whose is
behind these? Chidambaram. He is behind these," he said.

After Hazare`s arrest, Chidambaram had strongly defended
the move and said the Gandhian was taken into custody after
Delhi Police came to a conclusion that he and his supporters
would commit a "cognisable offence" by defying prohibitory
orders.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had then told Parliament
that Hazare and six others were arrested as a preventive
measure by Delhi Police.